Study Skills in Practice PDF

## Section Two ### Study Skills in Practice #### Three Planning Strategies Planning is an essential part of the study process. It is about identifying exactly what you need to do to ensure maximum impact during study sessions. It involves laying the groundwork by preparing your study space, conducting a reality check on how you are currently spending your time, and finally mapping out what your study schedule will look like. By putting a homework or study schedule in place you are making efficient use of your precious time. And, by completing our Revision Number Cruncher you will allocate enough time to each subject well in advance of exams. #### The Study Space Identifying and then organizing your study space should be a top priority and it is important you put time and thought into this process. The place where you do homework and revision is crucial to your ability to concentrate, be relaxed and engaged in the individual sense-making activity that is studying. That space should involve a desk and chair, possibly a study wall, and even a bean bag or comfortable armchair (for relaxation and retrieval). The important thing is that it is a quiet space away from any distractions, be they digital or human. Remember you need to give working memory a chance to do its job - it can't focus equally on two things at once and that includes tasks like revising for an upcoming exam whilst singing along to your favorite song. It is almost guaranteed that the main distraction you will have while trying to study is your mobile phone. Even if you think you won't check it during study periods, it is difficult to ignore notifications that are pinging in the background as you work. For a start, you are likely to think “I’d really better check, in case it is something important, or in case I am missing out on something.” If you want to maximize productivity, and form those good habits we talked about earlier, then remove the phone from the study space altogether. This requires discipline but it will be worth it. Or, if you find this particularly difficult, think about those technologies that reward your staying focused during study, such as Forest. This allows you to lock yourself out of various apps that generate interruptions and create a visual measure of your productivity. This can help to motivate you during breaks. Overall, we know from the evidence that a quiet, calm and structured learning space, free from distractions, is highly conducive to effective study and revision. It’s up to you to create that space. Last thing - if you enjoy studying in your bedroom (and you are being productive) then by all means continue to do so. However, think also about other options such as another room in the house, the local library, school (many schools offer after-school study). Your bedroom can then become your sanctuary for somewhere for headspace and downtime. That said, not everyone is lucky enough to have their own bedroom. If you share with a sibling, then agree some ground rules including times when you have the space to yourself. #### The Tools Prior to commencing study, make sure you have all the resources and equipment you need: relevant notes and textbooks, files, pens, maths equipment, etc. Take time to organize your notes (if you haven't already done so) and carry out topic list checks to establish whether or not you have the relevant materials as identified by the teacher. That way, you can pinpoint gaps in notes and then ask the teacher for the information you may have missed. You can also save time by filling your Study Space strategically. Use ready-punched paper, which can be easily moved between files. Keep all of your notes in one place, filed in order, numbered or colour coded, so that you can arrange and find them easily. Always keep a small notebook beside you - at various times you will record ideas as they come to you and you can brainstorm at your leisure. **A few more tips** • Prior to beginning the session, go for a short walk to clear your head; • Put a ‘DO NOT DISTURB’ sign on the door; • Have a snack to make sure you don't get distracted by your tummy rumbling; • Have your timer ready and know the first topic you are studying in advance; • Clear the desk when you finish and prepare the next set of books/notes for the next study session. Complete this Study Zone Checklist for yourself. Do your best to create the environment and conditions to maximize your study time. #### Study Zone Checklist | | | | |---------------|---------|-------| | Quiet and Calm | ☐ | ☐ | | Comfortable Chair | ☐ | ☐ | | Equipment (pens, ruler etc) | ☐ | ☐ | | Appropriate lighting/temperature | ☐ | ☐ | | Do not disturb sign | ☐ | ☐ | | TV/Tech switched off (unless study related) | ☐ | ☐ | | Phone removed from room | ☐ | ☐ | | Subject textbooks and class notes | ☐ | ☐ | | Desk | ☐ | ☐ | | Timer (not phone) | ☐ | ☐ | | Files, books/flashcards for study notes | ☐ | ☐ | #### Now, let's focus on our three Planning Strategies. These deal with your use of time, weekly planning and revision. ### Strategy One: `Piece of the Pie` Have you ever taken the time to write down and calculate exactly how much time you are spending on various activities? Whether you answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’, this activity will be useful. Reviewing how you use your time will help identify efficiencies or wastefulness, where and what are distractions, and how spare time and downtime might be maximised. Masses of research demonstrate that many of us do not set priorities, we underestimate how long various tasks will take and we overestimate the time spent on activities, especially those that we say we don't like. Time for a reality check then because life is busy, for everyone, and we need to use our time efficiently and effectively. You will likely have school, friends, hobbies/interests, sometimes chores at home, and a part-time job and it can be difficult to fit everything in. Many activities compete for our time and attention. However, we often have more time than we think. Managing this time more effectively will lead to improvements. How is your time-management? Have you ever arrived home from school at 5pm, put on a TV series and the next thing you know it’s 7.30pm? Or, have you ever lay on the sofa for a short nap only to wake up 3 hours later having forgotten to set your alarm? We are all guilty of those things and when they happen occasionally. However, problems arise when these behaviours occur consistently and so become bad habits that steal our valuable time. This short activity is called 'Piece of the Pie'. By representing 100 per cent of your time, it is a good visual representation of how you are allocating this precious commodity. **Piece of the Pie** **Time spent on various activities in one week (168 hours)** * Sleep: 8hrs per night x 7nights = 56hrs * School: 7hrs per day = 35hrs * Social Media: 18hrs * Friends/Out: 18hrs * Hobbies/Other Leisure: 35hrs * Homework/Study: 6hrs The example on the previous page illustrates how one student is spending 168 hours available to them weekly. Take time to examine their chart. Does any of it surprise you? Is it a realistic portrayal of someone your age? Is there a good balance? You’ll notice the largest piece of their pie is taken up by sleep. This is no coincidence, as sleep is central to learning and wellbeing. You will learn a lot more about this later when we discuss wellbeing strategies and exam performance. Now complete your own ‘Piece of the Pie’ by being as honest and accurate as possible. Only then can you begin to see what, if any, changes you need to make. You will need to give this activity time and focused attention. Have extra paper and a pen to hand to help with calculations. Begin with the previous seven days. How many hours did you sleep every night? Did you sleep more at the weekend than during the week? If you can’t remember, then use an average number. How much time did you spend in school in the last seven days? Did you attend daily? Include travel to and from school in this calculation. What about time on social media and browsing the Internet on your phone? Then think about time with friends and any other leisure activities. Next, how much time did you spend on homework/study in the last 7 days? Was it a typical week for you? Finally, are there any other activities that were omitted – maybe volunteer work, a part-time job, or helping your parent/guardian with chores? Don’t forget to count that time too. If you find it difficult to complete the chart then speak to a family member or friend who might be able to jog your memory. Remember, the purpose of the chart is to honestly assess your allocation of time. This exercise could prove to be the reality check you need. **Piece of the Pie** **Time spent on various activities in one week (Hours Available = 168)** * Sleep: ________________________ % * School: _________________________ % * Social Media: ____________________ % * Friends/Out: _____________________ % * Hobbies/Other Leisure: _____________ % * Homework/Study: _________________ % ### Strategy Two: Weekly Planning Now that you have organized your study zone and completed an assessment about how you are spending your time, you’re ready to begin the process of weekly planning. This process will help you stay on track with schoolwork, but it will also ensure you set aside much needed downtime, especially in your Leaving Cert year. It is crucial that you establish and maintain a healthy balance every week. That means scheduling time for hobbies, friends, family time, exercise etc. You should complete a weekly planner for every week spent at school. This might seem like an unnecessary task but remember that, left unnoticed, even small weekly changes can steal your time. Sunday, the day before the upcoming school week, is an ideal planning time. By then you will know if any major changes are likely to happen to the normal week, whether in relation to your part-time work rota, the training regime for your sport or a family event. Sometimes things arise too (including disruptions) that interfere with our best intentions. It will be easier for you to commit to this weekly plan when it is completed to a more exact schedule. You will also be more efficient with your time, you can plan more activities and avoid the tendency to procrastinate. Procrastination is the thief of time because it’s a case of ‘I’ll just wait and see what happens’. Most importantly, the weekly plan has to be realistic and achievable. Remember what we said earlier about forming positive habits – if you make it difficult or unrealistic for yourself, you are much less likely to carry out the behaviour and develop that new habit. **The Planner** We suggest your planner should be set out in a **Power Hour**: 60-minute blocks, broken down further into a maximum of 45 minutes of work, a 10-minute break and a 5-minute review. If you find that 45 minutes is too long in the first instance, then challenge yourself to carry out 20-25 minutes of uninterrupted work and build up to 45. | Power Hour | Time | |---|---| | | 17:00 | | | 17:45 | Break | | | 17:55 | Review | The Pomodoro technique is one such time management technique that uses intervals of 25 minutes, with a short break after each block. These time blocks encourage you to study in short manageable chunks of time. **Power Hour** **60 min blocks** * 45 min work * 10 min break * 5 min review Studying in manageable chunks, using our Power Hour, is better than studying for long periods, likely interrupted by distractions, fatigue and such like. If you need assistance with this Power Hour, a timer can be used to automatically remind you when to take a break. This could be a cooking timer or just your watch. Try not to use your phone for this purpose, as it can become a temptation also. Remember: self-control is key, whether applied to a phone ‘app’ detox during your Power Hour or completing an allocated task in the time you have set aside. The short break (of up to 10 minutes or spread over two five-minute blocks) should be used for a necessary toilet or refreshment break and also to think over the previous study period. Doing this ensures that your brain can shift attention to a practical task like getting a glass of water. This attentional shift can generate an insight because your brain continues to reflect on the study task in the background. Following a break, the five-minute review can be used in a number of ways: to review progress according to the objectives of the set task; to retrieve from memory the main aspects of the material you have just studied or revisited, and/or; to compare your work against an exemplar which your teacher might have circulated. In any of these scenarios, the principle behind the scheduled review in the Power Hour is simple: to ensure that you force your brain to be effortful in the learning process. ### Once you complete your own Weekly Planner, there may well be slots that are not set aside for study. These can be used as a reward for your other activities. You should also ensure that you take at least one take day off from schoolwork every week. Check out the exemplar here to see how one student incorporated this into their week. In this exemplar can be seen a good balance between schoolwork and other activities as well as some study and wellbeing priorities for the week, listed in the appropriate sections at the bottom. Your planner will be personalized and may vary every week. You may prefer to complete homework straight after school or later in the evening. You may prefer to build in study and revision at different times to your friends: this is a personal (and sometimes a family) choice. The key is to build in spaced (rather than crammed) practice each week. This will allow your brain the necessary time to digest all the information and for you to complete the four stages of the learning process to the best of your ability. Last thing: get to bed early as sleep is central to performance in school and in life. You will learn a lot more about sleep later. **Weekly planning will help you stay in control of your studies but also encourage you to set aside specific time for all the other important things that are central to your overall wellbeing.** **Everyday Weekly Planner** | Time | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thur | Fri | Time | Sat | Sun | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | 3pm - 3.45pm 10 min Break Review | Break | Break | Break | Break | Break | 10am - 10.45am 10 min Break Review | Break | Break | | 4pm - 4.45pm 10 min Break Review | Break | Break | Break | Break | Break | 11am - 11.45am 10 min Break Review | Break | Break | | 5pm - 5.45pm 10 min Break Review | Break | Break | Break | Break | Break | 12noon - 12.45pm 10 min Break Review | Break | Break | | 6pm - 6.45pm 10 min Break Review | Break | Break | Break | Break | Break | 1pm - 1.45pm 10 min Break Review | Break | Break | | 7pm - 7.45pm 10 min Break Review | Break | Break | Break | Break | Break | 2pm - 2.45pm 10 min Break Review | Break | Break | | 8pm - 8.45pm 10 min Break Review | Break | Break | Break | Break | Break | 3pm - 3.45pm 10 min Break Review | Break | Break | | 9pm - 9.45pm 10 min Break Review | Break | Break | Break | Break | Break | 4pm - 4.45pm 10 min Break Review | Break | Break | | Study Priorities (Homework, coursework and revision) | | | | | | Wellbeing Priorities (CONNECT: with yourself, nature and others) | | | | 1. | | | | | | 1. | Break | Break | | 2. | | | | | | 2. | Break | Break | | 3. | | | | | | 3. | Break | Break | | | | | | | | | 5pm - 5.45pm 10 min Break Review | Break | | | | | | | | | 6pm - 6.45pm 10 min Break Review | Break | | | | | | | | | 7pm - 7.45pm 10 min Break Review | Break | | | | | | | | | 8pm - 8.45pm 10 min Break Review | Break | **Weekly Planning Template** **Photocopy and customize as required.** **Everyday Weekly Planner** **Week beginning _/_/_** | Time | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thur | Fri | Time | Sat | Sun | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | 3pm - 3.45pm 10 min Break Review | Break | Break | Break | Break | Break | 10am - 10.45am 10 min Break Review | Break | Break | | 4pm - 4.45pm 10 min Break Review | Break | Break | Break | Break | Break | 11am - 11.45am 10 min Break Review | Break | Break | | 5pm - 5.45pm 10 min Break Review | Break | Break | Break | Break | Break | 12noon - 12.45pm 10 min Break Review | Break | Break | | 6pm - 6.45pm 10 min Break Review | Break | Break | Break | Break | Break | 1pm - 1.45pm 10 min Break Review | Break | Break | | 7pm - 7.45pm 10 min Break Review | Break | Break | Break | Break | Break | 2pm - 2.45pm 10 min Break Review | Break | Break | | 8pm - 8.45pm 10 min Break Review | Break | Break | Break | Break | Break | 3pm - 3.45pm 10 min Break Review | Break | Break | | 9pm - 9.45pm 10 min Break Review | Break | Break | Break | Break | Break | 4pm - 4.45pm 10 min Break Review | Break | Break | | 5pm - 5.45pm 10 min Break Review | Break | Break | Break | Break | Break | 6pm - 6.45pm 10 min Break Review | Break | Break | | Study Priorities (Homework, coursework and revision) | | | | | | Wellbeing Priorities (CONNECT: with yourself, nature and others) | | | | 1. | | | | | | 1. | Break | Break | | 2. | | | | | | 2. | Break | Break | | 3. | | | | | | 3. | Break | Break | | | | | | | | | 7pm - 7.45pm 10 min Break Review | Break | | | | | | | | | 8pm - 8.45pm 10 min Break Review | Break |

Study Skills in Practice PDF

Document Details

Tags

Related

Summary

Full Transcript